O's Shuey records first save since '02 in win over Angels

Orioles 6, Angels 3

BALTIMORE (AP) -- The rookie did his part, holding the Los Angeles Angels in check during his longest outing as a big leaguer. Then the veteran finished the job, earning a save that trumpeted his successful return from a two-year hiatus.

Brian Burres and Paul Shuey, two pitchers on the opposite end of their baseball careers, helped provide the Baltimore Orioles with a 6-3 victory Saturday night.

Ramon Hernandez hit a three-run homer, and Kevin Millar drove in two runs and scored twice for the Orioles, who improved to 6-4 under interim manager Dave Trembley.

Burres took a three-hitter into the eighth inning, and Shuey got the final four outs after being told by Trembley before the game that he would serve as the team's closer if such a situation arose.

"I was excited about it. That's the honest truth," said Shuey, who before this season had not pitched in the big leagues since 2003. After pitching in one minor league game in 2005 he announced his retirement and underwent surgery on his right hip. Now he's back -- for as long as his fragile 36-year-old body can hold up.

"It's a great feeling to go out there and get it done. We needed it," Shuey said. "Honestly, I'm at the point right now with the hip and everything else, I don't know how long it will last. So I'll take it when I can get it."

Called up from Triple-A Norfolk on June 19, Shuey was unspectacular in his previous four games before getting four straight outs against the Angels.

"This is my first outing where it's been pretty good," the right-hander said.

Burres (4-2) gave up three runs, five hits and four walks in 7 2/3 innings. Half of the rookie's four wins this season have come against the AL West-leading Angels.

Burres never went more than seven innings in his previous eight starts.

"I feel a lot better than I did my first start as far as my whole routine and just going out there and knowing what I've got to do, the whole feel of starting the game," said Burres, who began the season in the Baltimore bullpen.

The left-hander got the first two outs in the eighth before Orlando Cabrera singled and scored on a double by Vladimir Guerrero. Enter Shuey, who earned his first save since 2002.

"I feel real good for Shuey," Trembley said. "I think everybody's pulling for the guy."

Chone Figgins singled up the middle on Burres' first pitch of the game. It was the Angels' lone hit until Figgins hit a one-out triple in the sixth to score Nick Gorneault, who walked.

"I really didn't even notice until I looked up after the hit and thought, 'Oh, it's only the second one," Burres said.

Cabrera followed with a double to bring Los Angeles to 3-2. With runners at second and third and two outs, Burres struck out Robb Quinlan.

Hernandez made it 6-2 in the seventh with an opposite-field drive to right off Hector Carrasco. It was Hernandez's fourth home run of the season, the first since he connected on June 2 against Carrasco.

Cabrera and Figgins had two hits apiece for the Angels, who simply couldn't generate enough offense against Burres in their fourth loss in five games.

"Every rotation has a lefty like him, who can be crafty and who you have to work hard to figure out," said Howie Kendrick, who went 0-for-3 against Burres.

Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said, "He kept us off balance. The couple opportunities we had with men in scoring position, we could not take advantage of. He changed speeds well."

Angels starter Bartolo Colon (6-4) allowed three runs, eight hits and two walks in six innings. The right-hander struck out six, including Jay Gibbons and Corey Patterson twice.

"As the game went on, his pitches got up," Scioscia said. "But he threw some tremendous pitches."

Colon retired the first eight batters before Patterson reached on a bunt. After Brian Roberts drew a walk, Gorneault fielded a single to left by Brandon Fahey and threw out Patterson at the plate.

Baltimore went up 1-0 in the fourth on an RBI single by Melvin Mora, who finished with his second straight three-hit game.

Batting third for only the second time this season, Millar lined a two-run, two-out single in the fifth for a 3-0 lead.

Game notes
Making his major league debut, Gorneault went 0-for-2 with a walk. ... Figgins has a hit in 25 of 26 games in June, including 12 straight, but teammate Casey Kotchman went 0-for-4 and is hitless in 16 at-bats since missing seven straight games with a concussion. ... The crowd of 26,235 pushed the Orioles over the 1 million mark in their 40th home game. They reached 1 million in their 40th game last year, too.